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Topic: Recruiting as of 7/15/19 (Read 3060562 times)

A good coach knows when to say things publicly and knows how to say them. A coach who fails to understand it one who is bad at part of his job.

I'm sure there are plenty of former Crean players who, at least privately, would not wax poetic about him.

Reminds me a little of Tom Kelly, the old Twinkies manager. His veteran position players and a few select pitchers loved him, and to listen to them you'd think "everybody loves TK." But many, many players, especially pitchers, didn't like him at all.

Biggest difference between Kelly and Crean, of course, is that Kelly actually won something and didn't hang a banner just because it was a day ending in "y."

Crean won a few things....a few Big Ten Championships, got to a Final Four, etc.

Yes, I agree that some players will swear by a coach and others don’t. I found it interesting with most of Crean’s guys that excelled, they have been largely complimentary like Oladipo, Wade, etc. Maybe because he pushed them so hard to be better and they did just that?

Crean won a few things....a few Big Ten Championships, got to a Final Four, etc.

Yes, I agree that some players will swear by a coach and others don’t. I found it interesting with most of Crean’s guys that excelled, they have been largely complimentary like Oladipo, Wade, etc. Maybe because he pushed them so hard to be better and they did just that?

Fair enough on your first point calling out my hyperbole. Compared to somebody who actually has won the championship of his sport, Crean has won bupkis. But sure, getting to the FF and winning a conference title is winning something tangible -- we'd take either (but would prefer both) with Wojo.

As for what his coaching did for Wade, Oladipo, etc, who knows? We weren't there. And it's all in context ... did Crean "push" them any harder or better than any other good coach would have.

BTW, I speak this as one who appreciates what Crean did for our program. Doesn't mean he should be a tool, though. They aren't mutually exclusive. One doesn't need to be a tool to win. Neither Wright nor K (to name 2 of dozens) would have thrown kids under the bus like that.

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“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth.”

Like the sun rising in the East, chicos defending his butt boy Crean. For the umpteenth time Crean does something classless that is called out by the national media and chicos hears it as his call to duty. Pathetic n nothing less.

Fair enough on your first point calling out my hyperbole. Compared to somebody who actually has won the championship of his sport, Crean has won bupkis. But sure, getting to the FF and winning a conference title is winning something tangible -- we'd take either (but would prefer both) with Wojo.

As for what his coaching did for Wade, Oladipo, etc, who knows? We weren't there. And it's all in context ... did Crean "push" them any harder or better than any other good coach would have.

BTW, I speak this as one who appreciates what Crean did for our program. Doesn't mean he should be a tool, though. They aren't mutually exclusive. One doesn't need to be a tool to win. Neither Wright nor K (to name 2 of dozens) would have thrown kids under the bus like that.

You are right we weren’t there, so I rely on what those guys said themselves about him. Isn’t that what should matter?

I know this, Diener, Novak, Oladipo, etc, were not forgone conclusions to have NBA careers of any kind when they started at MU. Maybe that is why they thank their coach. Same as other players thank Buzz or others thank whomever.

You are right we weren’t there, so I rely on what those guys said themselves about him. Isn’t that what should matter?

I know this, Diener, Novak, Oladipo, etc, were not forgone conclusions to have NBA careers of any kind when they started at MU. Maybe that is why they thank their coach. Same as other players thank Buzz or others thank whomever.

Funny because you brought those names up on multiple posts here and one of those guys almost transferred his junior year because of the coach.

Crean was hard on his players, and a real jack@ss to pretty much everybody other than the star. Yes, he was/is a used cars salesman with a playbook that rivals NFL teams (spend countless hours watching NBA film and their sets), but he pushed guys hard and if you could take it you did get better.

***Edit*** Sorry for posting in the recruiting thread, I would delete if I knew how. So nobody had any insight on the Dawson visit? Do we know if the Johnson brothers, Sibley and Dawson got to spend any time together?

I realize it's not scoop unless we let petty arguments into the thread, but I really would like to keep this one to recruiting of current prospects (which does not include semantic debates about whether we lost or never had a recruit).

I realize this makes me a curmudgeon, but it was a huge recruiting week and I keep seeing updates to this thread only to find literally no information--only bickering.

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Assume what I say should be in teal if it doesn't pass the smell test for you.

Can we just make an ND/Crean sucks thread and get this crap out of the other threads?

Never happen, he has only been gone for 11 years. Will not stop or maybe pair down abit when it reaches 20 years.

Great mention for him getting the number 2 recruit in country, especially in the Recruiting Thread, but the endless ATV, karate, limos, ice cream truck, tackling dummies, Riley trophies, Crean sucks, hand shake lines, Crean/Buzz comparisons, being a jerk, not being a jerk, or so much more. Just a core few here who like to continuously shake it up with him, so just read and move on.

Funny because you brought those names up on multiple posts here and one of those guys almost transferred his junior year because of the coach.

Crean was hard on his players, and a real jack@ss to pretty much everybody other than the star. Yes, he was/is a used cars salesman with a playbook that rivals NFL teams (spend countless hours watching NBA film and their sets), but he pushed guys hard and if you could take it you did get better.

***Edit*** Sorry for posting in the recruiting thread, I would delete if I knew how. So nobody had any insight on the Dawson visit? Do we know if the Johnson brothers, Sibley and Dawson got to spend any time together?

Yup, and they admitted after the fact he was really really hard on them and did almost transfer, but now glad they didn’t. It took them after the fact to understand what he was trying to do.

The list of players that said this regard Knight when I was there are endless. 18-22 year olds don’t always get it. For the same reason kids sometimes come to their parents when they are in their 30’s and 40’s and say, “I get it now, but I didn’t then...I was angry then, but thank you for being tough on me but with love”. Why is this a thing, human nature as far as I’m concerned.

JayBee, I'm curious your thoughts on our chances with Garcia.I trust your take on Minnesota guys like I'd trust Mark Miller with Wisconsin guys. Is there reason to have some legit optimism in this one? Does the success of both Theo and Sacar make a difference with DG?